don't play with your food!

Just kidding! Play all you want! Because these three squares are meant to be played with. :)

Sometime around the age of two, Hana received a generous, timely, we-can't-believe-our luck! hand me down gift of a beautiful wooden play kitchen. She has loved that toy so much! It's a rare day that goes by without Hana cooking up some kind of goodness there. At first, dry millet, a jar of little felt balls, water, and strong imagination were all the "food" she needed. However, by the time of her fourth birthday (she's five now), some real food was requested. So for her birthday I made her some of the food below. The invitation for her party were in the form of a simple menu, and guests were asked to rsvp with their "order". Between rsvp date and the party I got busy making, and each guest was presented their "order" as part of their party favor from Hana's Cafe party. It was so much fun!On the daily menu at Hana's Cafe: for breakfast, a shortstack of pancakes with maple syrup and a pat of butter. Yum. {knitted and felted from this pattern but smaller with Rowan Scottish Tweed DK, free-hand felt syrup & butter}Then for lunch, a mixed greens salad with carrots, cucumber slices, mushrooms, and peas. Yum. {lettuce & mini carrots with Brown Sheep Nature Spun worsted, cucumbers with Debbie Bliss cotton and Nature Spun worsted, mushrooms & peas were handmade gifts from a friend who knew the party theme, big carrot wet felted with Peace Fleece roving}Sushi for dinner! Salmon roll, cucumber roll, tuna roll, and salmon roe! Yum. {rice & fish in rolls needle-felted from Peace Fleece roving and wrapped with black nori/felt, little roe pieces wet felted into tiny balls then onto the rice, then wrapped} This sushi is a recent addition to the fare at Hana's cafe, you know, for the more mature chef. ;-)Dessert! Yea! An oreo-type cookie. Extra-Yum! {amigurumi cookie from Brown Sheep Nature Spun & Cascade 220 and a wee bit of felt & embroidery floss} This cute cookie is really one of Hana's dad's holiday gifts (he's an oreo fiend from way back), but he has "allowed" her to play with it in her kitchen.

For the party invitations, we also offered pasta with tomato sauce. I made bowtie pasta with white felt cut in small rectangles (approx 1"x1.5") with two long sides cut with regular scissors and the two short sides cut with pinking shears. I pinched the center and stitched it a few times to secure it; about ten pieces makes a nice serving. The tomato sauce was a "splat" shaped piece of felt. As is the way with the cobbler's children, Hana's kitchen hasn't received its delivery of pasta from the distributor, but don't worry, I'm on it! :)

I'm posting about this play food now because the colder weather means indoor play is gaining favor. As I put my mind to sprucing up her play areas to expand her options, I thought it would be nice to share these ideas with you. There are few things better than a little one witnessing the creation of a toy (or anything for that matter) just for them, or by them!

Just food for thought! {Gah! I can't believe I just typed that, but that's me, so there you go!}

xo - Annri